After back-to-back road games, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a long-awaited homecoming in Week 6. In the process, they’ll be looking to slow down a hot New Orleans Saints team that has a 4-1 record with no signs of slowing down.
To get a little intel on the NFC South’s top team, we asked our comrade John Sigler over at Saints Wire a few burning questions. Here is the insight he was kind enough to answer about the team that will present the Jags with a huge challenge Sunday:
Jaguars Wire: Alvin Kamara is listed as questionable with an ankle injury and was added to the injury report late. Do you think the injury is significant enough to affect his performance on Sunday?
Jon Sigler: Kamara was spotted walking around the locker room without any visible limp or hitch in his stride, though he declined to comment on his status (as did Saints coach Sean Payton). Obviously, moseying around his locker is vastly different from performance in a game, but it doesn’t appear this is a serious injury that might slow him down.
JW: The Saints have a top-4 offensive line in the eyes of most, while the Jags have some very good pass rushers, which could make an interesting matchup. Could you talk about some of the standouts on the offensive line?
JS: The two players to watch for impact blocks are right tackle Ryan Ramczyk and center Erik McCoy. Ramczyk has played like an All-Pro, shutting down everyone he’s faced, from J.J. Watt to DeMarcus Lawrence. McCoy has been a standout rookie, particularly in pass protection. But the weak link in the line is left guard Andrus Peat, who’s dealt with injuries and struggled to play at a high level when he is out on the field.
JW: Gardner Minshew II has had some success against good defenses, so I’m curious about the Saints’ passing defense. How would you rate the job they’ve done against the pass so far?
JS: The pass defense has improved on almost a weekly basis, posting their best game to-date against Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday. Cornerback Eli Apple has been the most consistent presence, but his teammate Marshon Lattimore has effectively erased Mike Evans and Amari Cooper in subsequent weeks. Safeties Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams have also impressed. But the pass rush is the strength of the unit, especially after Sheldon Rankins returned to the defensive tackle rotation.
JW: A lot of Teddy Bridgewater fans reside in Florida, as he went to high school in Miami. Could you discuss the job he’s done replacing Drew Brees?
JS: Bridgewater has shown visible growth in each of his starts, and part of that’s by design. Payton has built game plans to ease Bridgewater into the offense and build his confidence to a point where he’s comfortable taking aggressive shots downfield to Michael Thomas. If his most recent game is any indication, Bridgewater is living up to his billing as a top-20 quarterback in this league.
